


The Right Way

by teyla



Series: He Looks To Me [2]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-13
Updated: 2006-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-02 18:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teyla/pseuds/teyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "He Looks To Me". Trip and Malcolm take that last step.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Way

**Author's Note:**

> **Beta**: Sita Z, TLI

Trip shifted in his sleep and began to turn onto his other side, but was stopped by something rather hard and solid right beside him. Hard and solid, but warm, not cold like the bulkhead next to his bed should have been.

He opened his eyes and found himself facing an unfamiliar room, illuminated by the blurred stars that were passing by in front of the window, which was on the wrong side of the room. The flickering, dim light fell on a desk that was definitely much too tidy to be Trip's, and slowly, the memories of last night returned to his mind. He was not in his own quarters, he was in Malcolm's. And the hard and solid obstacle he had encountered before was the back of said Armory Officer, who was sleeping beside him, his breathing slow and regular.

Carefully, so as not to wake the other man, Trip shifted and threw a glance at the nightstand. There was Malcolm's alarm clock, the display indicating that it was half past seven in the morning. Trip started. Alpha shift in engineering began at seven. He was already about to scramble out of bed when he remembered that today was Thursday, the alpha shift's day off. Neither he nor Malcolm had to work today.

Obviously slightly disturbed by the commotion Trip had caused, Malcolm shifted beside him and gave a low grunt before he grew still again. Trip turned so he came to lie on his other side, his back to the room, and propped himself on his left elbow to look at Malcolm.

The Lieutenant had pulled the blankets up almost over his head, so that only his hair and part of his face were visible. From what Trip could see, he looked relaxed, though, fast asleep, his nostrils vibrating as he took slow, deep breaths.

Trip smiled a little and resisted the urge to touch the other man. He didn't want to wake him. Besides, Trip didn't even know whether Malcolm would want him to be here. Trip hadn't exactly asked whether he could stay the night. He simply hadn't wanted to leave Malcolm alone the night before.

_I guess if he hadn't wanted me here, he would have kicked me out at some point,_ Trip thought. Malcolm had told him once that he rarely slept through the night without waking up at least once.

Remembering the previous evening, Trip still thought that staying had been the right decision. The thought of leaving Malcolm alone after he had told his story felt as wrong now as it had the night before. Thinking of what he had learned about Malcolm yesterday night, Trip felt an echo of the shock and the anger that Malcolm's story had triggered in him. After hearing about the terrible things that Malcolm had gone through, Trip was even more determined to make this work out between himself and the quiet Englishman. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he also knew that it was worth it. More than worth it.

Moving carefully, Trip swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He didn't think that he would be able to go back to sleep right now, but he knew how he could make himself useful. It was certainly a long time ago that Malcolm had had someone serve him breakfast in bed.

Quietly, he got up and picked up his boots and uniform that were lying on the floor in front of the bed. He'd gone to sleep fully clothed, but had woken up after about an hour to find that sleeping in a Starfleet uniform was even more uncomfortable than sleeping in the scratchy cotton pajamas that were included in a Starfleet issue camping gear. So he had quickly gotten rid of the blue overall and the black undershirt, crawling back into bed only in his briefs. Too intent on going back to sleep as quickly as possible, he had saved himself the trouble of putting the uniform on the desk chair, but had simply left it on the floor where it had dropped when he had taken it off.

Now, he quietly slipped on the shirt and the overall and put on his boots, then tiptoed over to the door that led to the corridor. Before he opened it, he quickly ran a hand through his hair, trying to minimize the just-climbed-out-of-bed-look. Then he hit the opener, and squinted at the onslaught of bright lights that hit him when he stepped into the corridor. Blinking a few times, he let his eyes adjust and steered towards the turbolift at the end of the hallway.

The corridor was deserted, which wasn't surprising. Shift had started about forty-five minutes ago, so the morning commotion had died down already. And the off-duty alpha shift officers were using the opportunity of their free day to sleep in for once and were still in bed.

_Good thing they are,_ Trip thought. He didn't think that it would have been such a good thing if anyone had seen him step out of Malcolm's quarters at quarter to eight in the morning. News traveled fast on Enterprise, and it wasn't as if Malcolm and he weren't subject to gossip already. He didn't think it would be such a good idea to add fuel to the fire.

On his way to mess hall, Trip encountered only three crew members; two ensigns from the science department that had obviously shared a little corridor chat after gamma shift and were now headed for their quarters on C-Deck, and an early-rising beta shift member on her way to the gym. Or so Trip assumed, considering she was wearing gym clothes.

The mess hall itself was empty, except for a steward who was wiping down the tables and straightening the chairs. Trip gave the man a nod, trying to remember whether his name was Carington or Charington, and picked up a tray on which he subsequently stacked plates and bowls from the serving case. He hoped that Charington-Carington wasn't watching him too closely, or he might notice that Trip was preparing breakfast for two persons instead of only one. But the crewman seemed intent on his task of cleaning up, and after a few minutes Trip decided that if he were to add another plate, he would certainly drop the tray on his way back to Malcolm's quarters. When he inspected the tray, he was content with the selection of waffles, pancakes, toast and eggs he had chosen. He covered each plate with a warming lid and filled a thermos flask with coffee which he tucked under his arm, then picked up the tray and carefully made his way back to B-Deck.

When he arrived at Malcolm's door a few minutes later, Trip balanced the tray in one hand and with the other punched in the door code that Malcolm had given him a few weeks ago. He entered the room, and found it as quiet as he had left it. Malcolm was obviously still asleep.

Making as little noise as possible, Trip set the tray and the thermos down on the desk, then walked over to the bed and stood next to it for a moment, looking at Malcolm who hadn't moved an inch while Trip had been gone and was still buried underneath the blankets.

When Trip had first discovered that his feelings for Malcolm were more than mere feelings of friendship--or rather, when he had first admitted it to himself--he had not known how to handle the situation. He had not been able to tell whether Malcolm felt the same. He hadn't even known whether Malcolm was interested in a same-gender relationship. But things had somehow begun to develop on their own, in a way that Trip had greatly appreciated. The two of them had begun to spend a lot of time together, and things had gone more smoothly than Trip had ever dared to hope for--until yesterday night, that was. But in fact, what Malcolm had told him didn't change Trip's feelings at all. If anything, they had intensified. He and Malcolm would simply have to be as careful as they had been before. Take things very slowly. But that was fine with Trip. He wouldn't want to rush this, anyway.

Looking down at Malcolm sleeping peacefully, Trip realized that he didn't have the heart to wake him up right now. It was only eight o'clock in the morning. This was their day off. There was no need to start it this early. And breakfast would not grow cold in the next couple of hours, the warming lids would see to that.

Taking off his boots and stripping down to his briefs once again, Trip climbed back into bed and slipped under the covers beside Malcolm. It was pleasantly warm and cozy in here, and Trip closed his eyes, taking in the slightly yet-unaired smell of the bedding which was both familiar and strange, since there was Malcolm's smell mixed with it.

Trip turned on his side and snuggled a little closer to the other man. He could get used to this, sleeping next to Malcolm. He'd probably be late for work every morning, since it would be even harder to leave the warm security of the covers if there was Malcolm lying next to him, but he would certainly love to get used to this.

-###-

Malcolm woke up as he always did: one moment he was fast asleep, and the next wide awake, his eyes open and his mind alert.

He took a moment to get his bearings. He was in his quarters, and he was lying on his side, facing the wall, which was how he usually woke up. But there was something different today. There was someone lying beside him, and a hand was resting on his waist.

_Trip_, he thought, and the ghost of a smile brushed over his lips. He remembered waking from a dream at some point tonight, sweating, not remembering the dream but fear tying a knot in his stomach, and finding that Trip had obviously decided to stay the night. At first, in the few disoriented moments after his dream, the unfamiliar presence had scared him, but then he had been glad that there had been someone there to inch a little closer to, to listen to while he had waited for sleep to return. Which it had rather quickly, as far as Malcolm could remember.

The deep, regular sounds of breathing indicated that Trip was still asleep. Malcolm shifted carefully and turned around enough so he could catch a glimpse of the alarm clock's display. When he saw the numbers on it, he felt surprised. He couldn't remember the last time when he had slept until past nine o'clock.

At his movements, Trip shifted a little, and his hand slid off Malcolm's waist, but he didn't wake up. Carefully, Malcolm sat up, and looked down at the sleeping engineer. Trip's hair was sticking up in all directions, making him look incredibly young. Malcolm reached out and hesitantly brushed his fingers over the bristly strands. All the time while things had been developing between him and Trip, there had been conflicting feelings confusing him; he had been both happy at his incredible luck to have met someone like Trip, and at the same time terribly scared. Yesterday night, when he had all but run from Trip's quarters, he had thought that he had screwed it up completely. But Trip had surprised him, had come after him, and Malcolm found that he didn't regret telling Trip about his past. Going against what he had thought, it seemed to make things easier, not more complicated.

He smiled a little, then looked up and surveyed the dark room. He saw that there was something lying crumpled up on his desk chair, and figured it must be Trip's uniform. He himself was still wearing the comfortable off-duty civvies that he'd donned yesterday after his shift.

There was something on the desk itself too, though. Malcolm squinted, trying to make out what it was. He knew that he hadn't left anything on his desk, especially nothing this big and. . . bulky. When his eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the room, Malcolm realized that he was looking at a mess hall tray laden with covered plates. He frowned, surprised, and looked down at the man beside him, who was still sound asleep.

_He got us breakfast,_ Malcolm thought. _And then he went back to bed._

Somehow the thought seemed awfully sweet to Malcolm, and he smiled, turning on his side so he was facing the other man.

"Trip?" he said in a low voice so as not to startle the engineer.

Trip moved his head a little, but didn't open his eyes. Malcolm reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. "Trip," he said again.

Trip shifted and mumbled something unintelligible, then slowly opened his eyes and squinted. Malcolm smiled at him. "Good morning," he said.

Trip blinked a few times, then licked his lips and returned the smile rather sleepily. "Mornin', Mal."

"You brought us breakfast."

At that, Trip blinked again, then turned onto his back and propped himself onto his elbows, looking over to the breakfast tray on the desk. "Yeah, I did," he said, as if the fact came as a surprise to him. Malcolm couldn't help but chuckle at that, and Trip looked at him from the corner of his eyes, smiling a little anxiously, as if he didn't really know what Malcolm was laughing at.

"That was very thoughtful of you," Malcolm said, and Trip's smile broadened.

"I hope you're in the mood for pancakes."

"Always," Malcolm said. "As long as you brought some peanut butter, as well."

Trip made a show of grimacing at the idea of pancakes with peanut butter and climbed out of bed to fetch the tray. Malcolm watched him walk over to the desk, appreciating the flex of the muscles in Trip's bare legs. Not only was the engineer one of the most patient and amiable persons Malcolm had ever met, but he was also quite a lovely sight.

Trip turned around, the tray in his hands, and Malcolm tried not to let his thoughts show on his face. He didn't want Trip to think he was suggesting anything. Not after what had happened the night before.

Instead, he slid over and cleared the covers away to make room for both Trip and the tray. As the other man sat down beside him, Malcolm inspected the tray.

"I didn't know what you'd want, so I brought a little bit of everything," Trip said, and Malcolm looked up at him, smiling.

"Thank you, Trip," he said, and when their eyes met, for a moment, neither of them said anything. Trip leaned in a little closer, hesitant, seemingly ready to pull back if Malcolm didn't respond. Malcolm slid a little closer to the other man, as well, and their lips brushed together.

The kiss did not last longer than a few seconds, but when they broke apart, Malcolm had to take a deep breath to get the elevated feeling in his stomach under control. To cover up his reaction, he broke eye-contact and looked down at the tray.

"Well, then," he said. "Let's see what we've got here."

Trip smiled and took the lids off the plates, presenting Malcolm with waffles, pancakes, toast, eggs and various portioned servings of jam and peanut butter. The two of them filled their plates, and when Malcolm sat close to Trip, leaning against the wall, a well-filled plate in one hand and a steaming mug of coffee standing within reach on the shelf above the bed, he thought that he certainly wouldn't mind getting used to this.

-###-

Malcolm sighed as Trip's hand sneaked under his shirt, gently rubbing the bare skin on his back, and met the other man's lips for another kiss. He felt Trip's tongue brush over his lips and slightly opened his mouth to let him in. With his fingers, he tenderly stroked the short, soft hair on the nape of Trip's neck.

The kiss was long and sweet, and when they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily. Malcolm's pants were feeling uncomfortably tight, and the hardness that was pressing against his thigh left little doubt about Trip's state of arousal. Slowly, Malcolm let his hands slide down along the length of Trip's back, feeling the throb of his own heart rather strong in his chest.

He was beginning to realize that tonight, it would be hard, if not impossible, to stop at some point as they had done on previous occasions. Since that fateful evening of two months ago, they had not yet tried again to take that last step; not for lack of opportunities, but because they didn't want to push each other.

_Because Trip does not want to push **me**,_ Malcolm thought. And he had to admit, he didn't think he would have been able to carry it through, had they tried. It wasn't that he didn't want to, not at all. Every time things neared that point, though, Malcolm felt an irrational, violent fright raise its head that made it impossible for him to continue--and as much as he hated that fact, there was not a single thing he could do about it.

Tonight, though, things were different. He didn't feel frightened. There was only the almost painful need to unite with the other man, to complete their bond with a last act of complete trust.

Malcolm tightened his arms around Trip and buried his face in the crook of the other man's neck, kissing the soft skin there.

"Trip," he whispered softly, and Trip's fingers that had been gently caressing his back grew still.

"What is it, Mal?" Trip asked, and Malcolm felt how his posture changed as he readied himself to pull back if Malcolm told him to stop. Malcolm pulled him in a little closer still.

"Trip," he said, "if you're ready. . . I think I am."

At that, Trip did pull back a little, and Malcolm let him, even though he regretted the loss of Trip's warm body pressed against his own. Their eyes met, and Malcolm could see Trip searching his face.

"Are you sure, Mal?" he asked eventually, and Malcolm was touched by Trip's patience and thoughtfulness. Malcolm had made him wait for two months, and still he was willing to wait even longer if Malcolm needed him to. He laid a gentle hand on Trip's cheek and traced the cheekbone with his thumb.

"I am," he said quietly, and felt confidence at his own words. There was no denying the nervous feeling his decision triggered in him, but it was drowned out by his will to do this. Trip smiled at him, and leaned closer. They met for another kiss, and Malcolm pulled Trip down with him as he lay back onto the bed. Now that he knew that he did not have to hold back anymore, he felt his need intensify, growing with every time his skin touched Trip's, with each time his tongue grazed Trip's teeth.

His hands found their way under Trip's shirt, and he began to lightly caress Trip's chest, tousling the hair there and running his fingers over Trip's nipples. He felt Trip shudder at the touch, and after a moment Trip pulled back a little and slid his shirt over his head, exposing his broad chest and flat belly. Malcolm smiled a little as he traced a finger down Trip's front from his throat to his waistband, then sat up and quickly got rid of his own shirt.

He met Trip's eyes, and knelt before him on the bed, sliding his hands around the other man's waist. They met for a close embrace, and Malcolm felt another rush of excitement run through him as their bare skin touched. The fine hair on Trip's chest brushed against his, and Malcolm sought out Trip's mouth again. They kissed until lack of air made them part, and for a moment Malcolm kept his eyes closed, listening to Trip's heavy breathing next to his ear and feeling the rise and fall of Trip's chest. For the next few moments, neither of them moved. Malcolm felt Trip placing gentle kisses on the nape of his neck, working his way to the front. He tilted his head to one side, exposing the side of his neck to Trip. He felt the engineer's lips nip at his ear.

"You still okay?" Trip whispered, his breath warm and moist on Malcolm's neck. Malcolm nodded, his eyes still closed. He was. Actually, he was more than okay. He ran a hand down Trip's back, and when he reached the waistband of Trip's pants, he slid his fingers underneath it.

"I'm good, Trip," he said, and pulled back a little to look into the other man's eyes. "I want this. You."

The skin in the corners of Trip's eyes wrinkled as the engineer smiled and put his hands on Malcolm's hips, his thumbs caressing the skin directly above Malcolm's pants. Malcolm closed his eyes, breathing deeply at the shudder that ran through him. He felt Trip's fingers unbuckle his belt and open the button on his pants, and put his hands on Trip's shoulders as he felt the other man push his jeans down. In the process, Trip's hands slid over his buttocks, and he was pulled closer into another long, passionate kiss. Malcolm slid his tongue into the other man's mouth and at the same time his hands found the button and zipper of Trip's pants, undoing them. He felt Trip's erection under the thin fabric of the underpants and ran a hand over the hard length.

When Malcolm touched him, Trip thrust his tongue even deeper into Malcolm's mouth, and his fingers on Malcolm's buttocks tightened, pulling on the fabric of Malcolm's briefs. Malcolm slid his hands into Trip's underpants, pushing them down, then quickly pulled off the remainder of his own clothing. When they were both naked, Malcolm wrapped his arms around Trip again and pulled him close. Their erections pressed against each other, and as Malcolm heard Trip sigh and felt the tremor that ran through the other man, for a brief moment he feared that he would spoil everything by losing control. He bit his lip, and the moment passed, leaving him a little shaky and even more needy than before. Trip's hands were resting on his buttocks again, and Malcolm buried his face in the crook of Trip's neck, kissing and gently sucking on the tender skin, slightly moving his hips against Trip's. Trip fell into the movement, his breathing heavy and loud in Malcolm's ears. Against Malcolm's expectations, though, he never moved his hands to begin preparing Malcolm, even though his palms were resting mere inches from the issue in question.

_Maybe he wants me to be on top,_ Malcolm thought, the idea surprising him in its obviousness, considering the way Trip was leaving it to Malcolm to set the tone. After a moment of confusion at his misconception, Malcolm let his hands slowly slide down Trip's back, running his fingers along the other man's spine. He gently stroked Trip's buttocks and slipped his fingers into the cleft, playing with the fine hair. Trip was holding his breath and had tightened his arms around Malcolm. The blond curls in his pubic area were tickling Malcolm's balls, and Malcolm closed his eyes for a moment, reaching further down and gently circling Trip's opening with his finger.

He was just about to reach for the lube when he noticed that Trip's posture had changed. Trip didn't seem relaxed; there was a certain tension in his body, and his breathing had quickened. Not from excitement, though, it seemed to Malcolm. He immediately pulled his hand back and drew away from Trip to look at his face. Trip met his eyes with an expression that was both apologetic and a little. . . scared?

"Trip?" Malcolm asked in bewilderment. "Are you okay?"

Trip gave a slight, rather insecure smile. "Well, yeah, I guess. . . I mean, I'm really enjoying this," he said quickly as Malcolm pulled back a little further, thoroughly confused and dismayed at the thought that he might have caused Trip any distress. "It's just. . . you know, I'm new to this."

Malcolm looked at Trip, blinking as he realized what Trip was telling him. He opened his mouth, but had to close it again before he found the words to respond. "You mean you never. . . had sex with another man?"

Trip mutely shook his head, and Malcolm saw a blush creeping onto the other man's face. Silently, he berated himself for his carelessness. He should have thought of this possibility. But he had been so caught up in his own issues that he had never even considered that Trip might feel a little unsure himself. Quickly, he reached out and touched the other man's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Trip," he said. "I. . . I didn't know, and I assumed you-"

Trip shook his head, smiling somewhat sheepishly and took his hand. "There's no way you could've known, I never told you. And it's not as if I'm having second thoughts," he said, sounding urgent. "I really want this, Mal, I do. But. . . " He trailed off, searching for words, the blush intensifying, and Malcolm couldn't help but recognize the excitement the sight of Trip naked, aroused and blushing triggered in him. He bit the inside of his lip and tightened his fingers around Trip's, who smiled a little helplessly. "It's just that I'm kinda unfamiliar with the. . . techniques."

For a moment, they looked at each other, then Malcolm slid an arm around Trip and pulled the other man a little closer, careful not to break eye contact.

"That's okay, Trip," he said, and with his free hand began to stroke Trip's hair. "I'll help you. If you want me to."

Trip's expression lost some of its anxiousness, and his hands that were on Malcolm's back began caressing the skin there. "Of course I want you to," he said, and leaned in closer. They kissed, and Malcolm felt his arousal intensifying again. He traced his hand over Trip's cheek, the soft skin of his neck and over the strong muscles of his chest, feeling the rise and fall and the beating of Trip's heart underneath them.

When they parted, Malcolm pulled Trip even closer, planting gentle kisses on the line of his jaw, feeling the tiny, almost invisible hair of Trip's stubble tickle his lips. "Maybe we should try this the other way around," he said quietly. Since Trip was, as he had put it, "new to this", it might be easier for him if he didn't have to give up the active role. He looked at Trip inquiringly, and Trip nodded, his expression conveying that he was leaving the decision-making to Malcolm tonight. Malcolm smiled at him, trying to communicate reassurance, and took the small tube from the shelf above.

"You need to stretch me first," he said, offering the lube to Trip who took it and screwed off the cap, then moved a little closer and slid his hands around Malcolm's waist again. Again, Malcolm took a deep breath as his hard penis touched Trip's. He felt the other man's arms around him, and when Trip's fingers slid over his buttocks and found the small hole, beginning to caress the skin around it, Malcolm tightened his arms around the other man and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Trip's fingers disappeared, and Malcolm suppressed a moan at the loss of the sensation. Only a second later, however, the touch returned, and Malcolm felt the cool, slick feeling of lube being spread around his anus. He sighed, kissing the skin on Trip's shoulder, and gave a small gasp as Trip slid a finger inside him. At the sound, Trip's hand froze, and Malcolm shook his head a little, sliding a hand around to Trip's front and beginning to run a palm over Trip's erection.

"Go on, Trip," he whispered. "You're doing great."

Trip gave a small, somewhat breathless laugh, and Malcolm's own breathing quickened as he felt Trip's finger begin to move inside him. He closed a hand around Trip's hardness, running a thumb over the head, feeling the moisture caused by the small drop of precome, and began a gentle massage. At his touch, he felt Trip's hand that was resting on his back pressing into the skin there, and a tremor ran through him as Trip's finger inside him was joined by a second one.

"Doing just great," he whispered again, his breath moving the thin hairs on the nape of Trip's neck.

After a few more moments, Malcolm decided both that he was relaxed enough for a try and that if they didn't do this now, Trip's fingers inside him would be enough to do him in. He raised his head to look at Trip. Their eyes met, and Trip got the message immediately. He carefully removed his fingers and gave Malcolm an inquiring look.

"Sit back," Malcolm told him, and Trip complied, shifting from a kneeling to a sitting position. Malcolm reached for the lube that was lying behind him on the bed, and squeezed some of it onto his fingers, beginning to spread it over Trip's erection, taking pleasure in the way Trip leaned back onto his elbows and tilted his head back at Malcolm's touch. When he was done, Malcolm positioned himself in a way so he was straddling Trip's waist. Trip was looking at him, and Malcolm found that the aroused, glazed shine in the other man's eyes was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

He leaned back a little, lowering himself until he felt Trip's erection slide between his cheeks, and took in a small breath when he felt the tip pressing against the skin around his anus.

"You'll have to give a little push," he said.

The sensation of Trip sliding into him was almost more than Malcolm could stand. He moaned and closed his eyes until he felt Trip's full length inside him. Then he lowered his eyes, seeing his own emotions reflected on Trip's face and in the darkness of the other man's eyes as they looked at each other. He reached out, wrapping his arms around Trip, drawing him closer. Trip pulled his legs up, and Malcolm gasped as the movement made the smooth hardness inside him slide even deeper. Trip's face was close to his own, and the engineer was smiling at him.

"You're beautiful like this, Mal," Trip said. Malcolm was about to reply, but then Trip began to slightly move his hips, and all that came out of his mouth was a low sound of delight. Malcolm fell into the movement, and they were rocking back and forth, slow at first but speeding up rather quickly. Malcolm tightened his arms around Trip, the skin under his fingers becoming slick with the sweat that was breaking out on Trip's back, and with every thrust of Trip's hips, he felt another wave rush through him, pushing him closer to the edge. He heard Trip panting, saw the quick rise and fall of Trip's chest, the other man's eyes that were fixed on him, the irises so dark that he could barely make out the rim of Trip's pupils. He tilted his head back and moaned, not able to keep silent any longer.

Their pace quickened, their hips moving in unison, and suddenly Malcolm felt Trip's hand close around his penis, beginning to stroke, to caress. He dug his fingers into Trip's back, the moan turning into a cry. He could feel Trip tremble underneath him, heard the other man's short, hard gasps, and when Trip's fingers tightened once more, he couldn't hold back any longer. He came, his muscles contracting, and felt Trip arch underneath him as the other man reached his climax at the same time. Malcolm felt the wave rush through him in long, hard gushes, more intense than ever before, and riding on the crest of the last surge, he looked down at Trip's face that was glowing, caught in the rapture of orgasm.

Then the high died away, and when Trip opened his eyes, meeting Malcolm's gaze, Malcolm pulled him close and kissed him, their warm, wet bodies pressed against each other, trying to prolong the moment for a few split seconds. Then Trip leaned back, lying down onto the bed, and Malcolm carefully lifted himself off the other man, falling back onto the mattress next to Trip, spent.

For a few moments, neither of the two men said anything, their breathing being the only thing that broke the silence around them. Then Malcolm felt movement beside him, and a second later Trip's face appeared in his field of vision. Malcolm could see that he was about to say something, and quickly reached out, pulling Trip into a close embrace, kissing his lips, his cheek and finally the soft skin of Trip's shoulder as he buried his face in the crook of Trip's neck. He did not want to talk right now. He just wanted to feel Trip right there beside him, warm skin touching his own, and relish the afterglow.

Trip seemed to understand, because he didn't say anything, just slid a leg over one of Malcolm's and snuggled in close. They stayed like this for quite some time, and if the air hadn't begun to feel so cold on his skin, Malcolm could have stayed like this for even longer. Until forever, for instance. But as it was, after a few minutes he reached out and groped for the blanket that was lying folded up at the foot of the bed. At the movement, Trip raised his head and propped himself up on one elbow, with his other hand helping Malcolm to spread the blanket over the two of them. Then he turned his head and met Malcolm's eyes once more.

"Mal. . ." he said, and all of a sudden, Malcolm felt a little scared. All the time up until now he hadn't felt any fear, hadn't even thought of being afraid, but now, he felt anxiety spread in his stomach. It must have shown on his face, because Trip gave him a smile and brushed reassuring fingers over his hair.

"I. . . just wanted to tell you that this was wonderful," Trip said. At these words, the queasy feeling in Malcolm's stomach disappeared and was replaced by a spreading warmness. He reached out and slid an arm around Trip's neck, pulling the other man down until their bodies were lying close to each other again, huddled under the blanket. He put his mouth close to Trip's ear and spoke in a very soft voice.

"Yes, it was."

He felt Trip's arms slide around him, and relished the sensation and the warmth of Trip's body so close to his. They lay still for a moment, only their fingers moving as they gently caressed the skin on each other's back, and Malcolm thought how lucky he was to have found this man, who was gentle, sweet, patient, funny, and, most of all, seemed to care as much about him as Malcolm did in return. He felt a tremor run down his spine, and, turning his head a little to be able to whisper directly into Trip's ear, Malcolm spoke two words so softly that Trip would never have caught them, hadn't they been lying tangled up like they were.

"Thank you."

_Thank you for touching me the right way._


End file.
